Davis Building

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Address: 1309 Main Street
Architect: C. D. Hill
Year Built: 1926

Also known as: Republic National Bank (1926-1954)

This Classic Revival building was built for the Republic National Bank. In 1931, Coburn & Fowler added the 20 story west wing. The building was renamed the Davis Building in 1954, after Dallas businessman Wirt Davis, when the bank moved to a new building.

The building was renovated 1965-1967, with a complete redo of the interior and conversion of the lower floors to retail, with a new façade. Louis G. Reese bought the building in 1984 and hired Corgan & Associates to renovate. Renovations were underway when the banks foreclosed. In 1990, the building was used in the Martin Sheen movie Touch and Die. Sheen played a newspaper reporter for the "Western Morning News," and the Republic National Bank was used for exterior shots of the newspaper. The building was designated a City of Dallas Landmark in 1998. In 2003, Hamilton Properties Corporation renovated the building, at a cost of $35 million, with retail on the ground floor and 183 loft apartments, designed by BGO Architects, Inc.

For More Information:

Online:

The Davis Building

The Handbook of Texas Online: "Republic Bank"

Resources at the Dallas Public Library, 7th Floor:

Vertical Files:

Banks & Banking -- Republic National
Buildings -- Davis

Books:

Annual Report. Republic National Bank. 1947-1975, various years. [332.1 R426A]

Manuscript Collections:

MA86-15 City of Dallas Landmark Records; see Davis Building folder

Articles:

Dallas Downtown News. Feb. 27 - Mar. 4, 1984, p. 10.

Photographs:

Please contact department to view additional photographs.

Dallas Public Library Homepage

Last revised on November 29, 2006